Chase Grossman, a 22 year old who suffers from social anxiety, finds social interactions to be extremely daunting at times. His difficulties led him to get a seriously clever tattoo, that has eased the ability to give out all the belly rubs to every cute dog in his path.
Chase has been a dog lover for as long as he can remember. There is not much else that gives him as much joy as cuddling a furry friend, a love of which we can all understand!
Though Chase loves meeting new friendly dogs, he has always found it challenging to approach a pet owner and ask for permission to pet their pup. Being a transgender man, he struggles with social anxiety, and the difficulties it presents in his life.
On a recent trip to Portland, Chase found so much joy in being in a city that was so incredibly pet friendly. There would be dozens of adorable dogs in an area at any given time. It was here that he had the thought of how great it would be to let pet owners know he wanted to interact with their furry friends, without having to ask.
“I had joked around with some friends and was like ‘Wouldn’t it be easier just to have people see that I want to pet their dog instead of having to interact with them?” – Grossman
It was in that moment that he decided to go for it, and get the tattoo that took the dog loving world by storm!
He got the tattoo placed on his forearm in plain sight, and it simply read: “Can I pet your dog?”
Though this seems like a simple and light hearted tattoo, it means so much to Grossman. Upon sharing his new tattoo with his friends on Facebook and a popular dog Facebook group, he has learned just how much this phrase means to others as well.
So many dog lovers miss out on belly pats and noggin scratches, all because the thought of approaching other people makes their stomachs turn. Chase was surprised by the incredible response this tattoo got, and how many people are considering getting the same phrase inked on them as well.
Chase says that since getting this tattoo, he has pet more pups and made new friends! We are so happy that this tattoo has helped to relieve some of his anxiety, and open up his world to all the adorable dogs he could dream of!
H/T: http://insider.com
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via Whisker Therapy